Tappet tool



April 9, 1940. .1. LlZAKOWSKl TAPPET IOOL Filed June 27, 1938 Inventor c/l j/zaro I I J/r/ A ttorneys Patented Apr. 9, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE one-half N. Dak.

Lizakowski, Minto,

Application June 2'1, 1938, Serial No. 218,147

3 Claims.

My invention relates to improvements in tappet holding tools for use in adjusting, or setting, the tappets of internal combustion engines.

The principal object 01' the invention is to provide an easily applied device of this character for locking the tappets in stationary position, against rotation, preparatory to adjusting, or setting, the lock nuts thereof and which may be quickly removed and will not interfere when applied, with the use of wrenches applied to the lock nuts.

To the accomplishment of the above, and subordinate objects presently appearing, a preferred embodiment of my invention has been illustrated in the accompanying drawing, set forth in detail in the succeeding description and defined in the claims appended hereto.

In said drawing:

Figure l is a view in side elevation illustrating my improved tool applied to a pair of tappets,

Figure 2 is a view in top plan,

Figure 3 is a view in end elevation, and

Figure 4 is a view in side elevation.

Referring to the drawing more particularly and by numerals, the tool i embodying my invention comprises a fiat body of suitable metal having ends 2. Preferably the body of the tool has concave side edges 3 facilitating grasping said body by the hands. The ends 2 are each provided with a radial slot or jaw 4 having straight sides 5 and 0 of the proper width to fit over the usual fiat sided upper ends 6 of conventional valve tappets 1. Preferably the inner ends of the slots or jaws 4 are rounded, as at 8, to fit flush against the rounded sides of the ends 6 of said tappets and the sides or side edges 5 of said slots 4 are rounded transversely to obviate binding on said ends 8. This latter advantage is one of substantial importance particularly when a mechanic desires to adjust the tappets while the engine is running.

Under such conditions the tappets reciprocate longitudinally with respect to each other resulting in angular oscillations of the wrench with respect to the tappets, and these relative movements would produce a binding action except for the provision of these rounded edges. The jaw slots 4 are spaced apart sufllciently to fit around the ends I of two adjacent tappets I and are disposed in relatively right angled relation so that one extends inwardly of one side of the body,

whereas the other one extends inwardly from one end of said body.

By virtue of the described jaws 4, the tool may be applied to two adjacent tappets I to tie one to the other against rotation as follows. The slot 4 5 opening on to one end of the body is first slipped over the end 6 of one tappet I. As will be understood, said tappets I are of the rotatable type as is usual. The tool I is then swung edge-wise inwardly, that is to say, toward the engine, not shown, using the tappet to which it is applied as a 5 fulcrum and to slip the other slot 4 over the end 6 of the adjacent tappet 1 thereby coupling said tappets together against relative rotation so that the locknuts 9 of the tappets may be adjusted, or set, by a suitable wrench. 10

To facilitate application and removal, the body I is provided with a U-shaped hand grip or finger loop III extending therefrom laterally in the plane thereof diametrically opposite the slot 4 which opens onto the side of said body. As will be clear, 1

the described tool may be reversed in its application to the two tappets as found expedient. Because of the fact that the jaw slots open in relatively right angular directions, i. e., one endwise and the other sidewise, I secure certain advantages and benefits not obtained in tappet tools otherwise designed. Thus it will be seen that the tool may be used on difierent types and makes of cars wherein the tappets are spaced at different distances from each other, a prevalent variable 25 conditionthat must be taken into consideration unless of course the mechanic is provided with a separate tool for each possible spacing. Within a reasonable range, however, the tool will accommodate many spacings, it being understood that 30 with the side opening jaw engaging one tappet the end opening jaw will receive the other tappet either deeply within itself, as indicated in Fig. 2,

or at intermediate or outer end positions.

Another important advantage resulting from 86 the right angular jaw arrangement lies in the fact that when the tool is applied to a pair of tappets the adjusting screws and lock nuts may be turned or adjusted in either direction without disengaging the tool from the tappet not being worked on. 40 It is also found that the tool will remain in place, even when adjustments are made while the engineis running, to a greater extent than with any other tappet holding tools that have come to my knowledge. The finger loop ill being ar- 45 ranged directly opposite the side opening jaw is the most advantageous position for engagement by the operator and enables him to handle the tool without touching the adjacent hot and oily engine parts. 50

Manifestly, modifications in the parts described may be resorted to without departingfrom the inventive concept and right is herein reserved to such modifications as fall within the scope of the subjoined claims. Ill

What I claim is: 1. A tool for application to a pair of tappets to prevent their rotation while being adjusted, comprising a body member having a pair of jaw slots 5 for simultaneous engagement with the respective tappets, said slots opening one endwise to one end of the body member and the other sidewise to one side of the body member.

2. A tool for application to a pair of tappets to 10 prevent their rotation while being adjusted, comprising a body member having a pair 01' Jaw slots for simultaneous engagement with the respective tappets, said slots opening in direction substantially at right angles with respect to each other.

3. A tappet tool comprising a body having spaced jaws in the form of slots the side edges of each of which are parallel, for engagement over tappets to prevent them from turning, the said edges 01' one slot being non-parallel with respect to the edges of the other slot whereby the tool may be applied to tappets of difierent relative spacing.

' JULIUS LIZAKOWSKI. 

